Delay of game smatterings

With ThrillerFest kicking off on Thursday, the Arizona Republic offers a preview of what’s happening at the inaugural conference.

The Belfast Telegraph talks to Andrew Pepper, whose debut novel THE LAST DAYS OF NEWGATE is about to be released.

Peter Robinson’s tour has gone to England, and the Northern Echo catches up with the creator of Inspector Banks.

Crime fiction reviews quickly: Susanna Yager on new books by Harlan Coben and James Sallis; Mark Timlin on holiday reads for crime fans; Gerald Kaufman on crime releases for the Scotsman; Margaret Cannon’s column is chock full of goodies, while Marilyn Stasio opts for more perverse pleasures; the Times gets huffy about new books by Michael Collins & Simon Kernick, but is more into crime novels by John Fullerton and Michael Gregorio;

I managed to completely miss out on the death of James McClure, Oxford Times editor and notable crime fiction writer of South African-based mysteries. He was 66.

Howard Jacobson’s new novel put him in an angry mood, but he explains to Rachel Cooke why he still thinks it’s one of his best works.

Michele Roberts assesses the legacy of Angela Carter, one of the most wonderful writers of the latter part of the 20th century.

The Baltimore Sun hops on the erotica bandwagon, trying to understand why more sex equals more sales for the romance novel industry.

L.A. Banks is just the latest writer to get kudos and success for her vampire books. The Philadelphia Inquirer finds out why.